Inclosure



April 28, 1932..

A. F. BEMIS INCLOSURE Filed Dec. 1,4, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y ya April28, 1931. A, F, BEMls ,1,803,091

INGLOSURE Filed Dec. 14. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. F. BEMIS Apfil 2s,V1931.

INCLOSURE Filed neo. 14, 19.29

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 www/I- Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES ALBERT F.BEMIS, OFl NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BEMIS INDUSTRIES,

PATENT OFFICE INCORPORATED, 0F`BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0FDELAWARE IN CLOSURE Application filed December 14, y1929.y Serial No.414,057.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction,and-more particularly to the construction and arrangement of theretaining walls andwindows or the like for tion wall for support, andsettling of thev earth which is disposed beneath theoverhangingstructure will permit the latter to crack orv break away.Furthermore, the concrete area walls have required the provision ofpouring forms which were difficult and expensive to build and whichimpeded the rapid continuation and completion of the construction of thebuilding, and the resulting light-admitting areas were` ordinarily quitelimited.

The present invention is designed primarily to avoid these deficienciesand objectionable features and to permit theV rapid construction ofinclosures for cellar areas, which are adapted to remain indefi-V nitelyin position and which are vnot primarily dependent upon `the adjacentsoil for support and which are so constructed that the settling of thesoil doesnot materially affect the stability of the retaining wall.Furthermore, this arrangement is particularly advantageous in permittingsubstantially the maximum amount of light to pass into the basement froman area of determined size.

To permit the attainmentof these desira ble results, I preferablyprovide preformed members which may be used in conjunction with the formelements provided for the lpouring of a cementitious foundation.Preferably the preformed members are pro-V vided with means tofinterlockwith the ad` joining portions of thefoundation to ensure the firmcontinued Vretention of the area walls in position; and they maybe arrranged so that they are supported bythe adjoining earth, evenif t-hesame settles. To this end the outer wall of my improved area may beinclined in relation to the basement wall. f lPreferably the window isarranged at a slight angle to the horizontal at the top of the area Vsothat substantially the entire extent of the same may be effective inladmitting light to the basement. Thus with areas of a givenV size amaximum amount of light and ventilation may V,be pro-'v vided for thebasement. j f

While my improved inclosure construction' is adapted generally to-beemployed with j substantially all typesof pouring forms forfoundations,` it is particularly adapted to be used in conjunctionwiththe' form arrangement disclosed and claimed in my copend-v ingapplication Serial No. 342,996, filed Feb-v ruary y2.7, 1929, whichinvolves the employmentof precast slabs between whichcementitiousmaterial is poured in order to provide a foundation wall,suitable temporary uprights being disposedv between the ends of ytheadjoining preformed slabs to holdthem in place until therpoured concretehasset.

rIn theaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through my improved type of inclosure forcellar areas, including a portion of the adjoining foundation and' partofthe building frame;

.Fig 2 -is a perspective'view of apart of the inclosure with a part ofthe foundation wall removed for clarity of disclosure;

VFig. 3 is a perspective'view of the outer side of the inclosure withthe foundation wall and parts of the walls kof the .inclosure brokenaway; I

Fig. 4 is a top view of the inclosure with the window removed;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of the inclosure; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the inclosure showingv therelation of theV same to the adjoining earth after the latter hasYsettled. l

foundation wall is being formed.

I preferably employ precast slabs of cement-itious material for theconstruction of my improved inclosure for cellar areas, theseslabs beinglocated in place as the For convenience of description I will firstrefer to the completed inclosure and then will describe a typical mannerin whichthe same may be assembled with the adjoining building structure.

Referring-first to Figs. 2 and 3, my improved area inclosure comprisesside slabs 1 which, as shown, may be substantially trapezoidal, having avertical edge substantially in the plane of the inner face of thebasement wall2, having a lower ysubstantially horizontal edge 3 restinguponra portion of that wall which forms the bottom of an openingandhaving an inclined outer edge 4. In many installations the edge 3 mayproject somewhat beyond the outer lface of the wall. Anintermediate slab6 is disposed between the side slabs 1, being inclined downwardly andinwardly so that its lower end may be embedded in the pouredcementitious material 7 of the foundation 2. Preferably7 as shown inFig. 1, the slab 6 is thus spaced from the inclined edges 4 of the sidemembers 1, preferably being disposed at a greater distance from the sameat the bottom of the inclosure than at its top.

f Suitable metal sleeves 10, Fig. 1, may be embedded inthe slabs 1 andreceive tie bolts 11 upon which nuts 12 are threaded to hold the sidemembers 1 in firm engagement with the inclined slabs 6. To permit themore effective attainment of this result suitable groovesy 13 areprovided in the slabs 1, Vand the ends of the intermediate member 6 arerabbeted to afford tongue portions 9 to interiit with these groovedportions of the side panels. Thus the fastening elements ing them infirm engagementwith veach other. f c

Preferably brackets 29 extend outwardly from the first'floor sill 30 ofthe building rframe and are provided with openings 32 which receive pins33 extending through the slabs 1 more firmly to hold the latter inplace.

A suitable transparent closure 20 may bev L disposed at the top of theinclosure assembly,

including a suitable window panel 21 which may be formed of glassreinforced with wire or the like and a frame or sash 22 which may restupon the upper edges of slabs 1 v and 6. Preferably the inner edge .ofthis window frame isconnected by hinges 28 with brackets 29. A flashingstrip may Yb esecured to the sill 30 or to a wooden strip 33* mountedthereon and may extend over` a metal lip 37 carried by the window frameto provide a suitable weather-tight joint at this point. The remainingedges of the window frame may be provided with depending metal flangeportions 40'aL which prevent the passage of moisture about the upperedges of the slabs.

Preferably slabs 1 and 6 may be precast of cementitious material, suchas a suitable Portland cement, which may be reinforced by Va coarsereticulated wire or rod members, Vdesignated inl general by numeral 40,

Fig. 5. Outstanding bars 41 may be provided by extensions of portions ofthis member or by other rods that are embedded in the side panels of theinclosure to extend into the cementitious material 7 of the foundationboth at each side of the inclosure and beneath the same.

l `The horizontal lower edges 3 of the side panels 1 facilitate theemployment of this construction with any type of form boards, sincethese edges may rest upon the boards of the form, but when preformedslabs are employed to define the faces of the foundation, disclosed inmy copending application Serial No. 342,996, the lower edges of thesepanels may rest upon the slabs, as shown. As disclosed in the copendingapplication referred to, the building frame may be: erected upon thefooting, the uprights 51 for the foundation form being temporarilyconnected to portions of this frame and preformed slabs 50 beingarranged with their edges in juxtaposition to thesev uprights to providea form into which the cementitious material is poured. This mode ofconstruction particularly facilitates the employment of the type of areainclosures disclosed herein, since, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower edges3 of the side `panels 1 may rest upon the edges of the preformed slabsand the brackets 29 after being secured to sills 30 may be connected bypins 33 to the upper portions of the panels, the bolts L11 beingarranged to clamp the slab' between the outer portions of the panels 1.As shown, the outer uprights 5l adjoininglthis portion of the wall mayterthen allowed toreceive an initial set before the cement is poured 'ateach sider of the panels l to complete the foundation up to the'level ofsills 30. VAsdescribed above, panels larev provided withr rods 41projecting into the space between the opposite layers of preformed slabs50` so that when cementitious material is poured into this space, theserods firmly interlock with the same, while the lower edge of slab 6 isembedded in the poured cementitious material. Fig. 6 illustrates themanner in which'the earth may be packed about an inclosure con structedin accordance with this invention, and particularly the arrangement ofthe same adjoining the intermediate panel 6. It is evident that althoughthe earthimay tend to settle at this point it will merely become morermly packed adjoining the lower part of the panel 6, thus lendingappreciable support to the same; however, even if the earth settlesentirely away from the inclosure, the latter is firmly supported by thebasement wall and the sill, due to the arrangement of the lower portionof panel 6 in the poured cementitious material 7 and from theinterlocking engagement of the rods 41 with the same cement, as well asthe connection of the side panels to the sill. It is further evidentthat the arrangement of the transparent closure 20 in a slightlyinclined position permits the admittance of the maximum amount of lightto the cellai despite the limited area occupied by the inclosure or thelimited horizontal extension of this assembly outwardly of the basementwall.

An inclosure assembly of this character is particularly adapted to beemployed in conjunction either with the mode of constructing foundationwalls described in my copending application identified above, or

Vin conjunction with the employment of removable form boards, it notbeing necessary to provide elaborate forms or to delay the constructionof the foundation to permit the Vconstruction of the cellar areainclosure.

I claim:

l. In a building, a foundation wall having an opening, and a pluralityof preformed cementitious slabs secured together to provide an inclosurefor the area adjoining the opening and to form a retaining wall for thesurrounding earth, a lower portion of each of said slabs being inengagement with the foundation adjoining the bottom of the opening,certain of said slabs having horizontal lower portions resting upon thefoundation and extending outwardlyl from theA rounding earth, said slabsbeing held in in-V terfitting relation with each other, and metalelements having portions embedded in certain of the precast slabs andhaving portions extending into the adjoining foun ation.

8. In a building, a basement wall having an opening, a plurality ofpreformed-cemen- Y titious slabs secured together to provide an theopening.

inclosurefor the area adjoining the openingA *i .and'to form a retainingwallV for the sur.-v

rounding earth, said fslabsbeing held in inf `terfitting relation witheach other, and means. connecting certain ofsaid'slabs tothe sill forthe lower floor of the building.

4. lA building construction comprising in combination a foundationwall,'an opening ,Y in the same and an inclosure and retaining and anintermediate panel inclined ldown-v wardly and inwardly to join thefoundation at its loweredge. f

6. A Vbuilding construction comprising in combination a foundation wallhaving an opeiiing,janl inclosureH and retaining -ar-vrangement .p forthev` same comprising side 'panels Aformed of precast 'cementitiousmaterial, and the intermediate `panel inclined downwardly andinwardly'to join the foundation at its lower edge, said intermediate Ypanel 4being received -in grooves in said side panels, and means tyingthe :side panels to each other and yholding the intermediate panel linfirm kengagement therewith.

7. A building construction comprising in combination a foundation wallhaving an opening, an inclosure'and retaining arrangement for theksamecomprising side panels, an intermediate panel inclined downwardly andinwardly to join the foundation at its lower edge, and a substantiallyhorizontally disposed closure panel arranged over the inclosure.

8. A building construction comprising in combination a foundation wallhaving an opening, an inclosure and retaining arrangement for the samecomprising side panels, an intermediate panel inclined downwardly andinwardly to join the foundation at its lower edge, a substantiallyhorizontally disposed closure panel arranged over the inclosure, andhinges connecting the inner portion of the closure panel to an adjoiningpart of the building. Y

9. In a building, a basement wall having an opening, a sill extendingalong the to of the basement wall, an inclosure for a cef lar areaprojecting outwardly from the foundation wall adjoining the opening,said inclosure having side wallportions, and connections between saidportions and the sill, the lower parts of the side wall portionsengaging the foundationat the bottom of 10. In a building, a verticalwall with an opening in which is disposed a window unit,

said window unit comprising a performed inclosure for the fareaadjoining'the opening and a weather-proof cover for said inclosure, saidcover being 1n a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of saidwall and at least a portion of-said cover being adapted to permit thepassage 4of light..

Y 1l. In a building, a foundation Wall having an `opening in whichisdisposed a structure, a pont-ion of which permits the transmission oflight, said structure comprising aVV plurality of preformed cementitiousslabs secured together, the lower portion of each of said slabs being inengagement With vthe foundation adjoining lthe bottom of the opening,the upper port-ion. supporting a cover to the opening, said cover havingaA translucent portion and being in a substantially horizontal planeprojecting outwardly from said wall.v f

12. In a building, a vertical wall having an opening in which isdisposed `a window unit comprising a plurality of preformed cementitiouspanels secured together to provide an .inclosure for the area adjoiningthe,

opening,` the lower portion of each of said panels being in engagementwith the Verti cal wall adjoining the bottom of the opening, the outerpanel projecting upwardly and outwardly at a substantial. angle to saidvertical wall, the side panels extending from said wall to the outerpanel, and a cover for said inclosure,'said cover including atranslucent sheet and being supported by said panels. Y Y y Signed by meat Boston, Massachusetts,

this 10th day of December, 1929.

wss"

ALBERT F. BEMIS.

